Have you ever seen celebrities or famous personalities promoting a product to their audience? That is called influencer marketing. Just like a TV commercial that uses actors/actresses to advertise a product, influencer marketing makes use of public figures (who have a huge following) to promote products on social media.
Social proof and social approval matter. In e-commerce marketing, bear in mind that people buy from people they know and trust. When your target customer sees someone who he follows patronize your products, he will likely do the same. His purchasing decision gets influenced by a more recognizable person.
This is why most e-commerce store owners use the power of influencer marketing. By reaching out to celebrities, public figures, models, and industry leaders, you are building brand awareness and boosting sales.
What is a social media influencer?
An influencer is a person who has established a reputation and credibility ins a specific industry. They use social media platforms to spread their message and influence their audience. Influencers can be Youtube vloggers, podcasters, Facebook personalities, or Instagram famous.
Influencers make their names known by regularly posting content and sharing their knowledge and expertise about a certain topic. For example, a beauty influencer talks about makeup, skincare tips, beauty products, etc.
Level of Influencers
There are different levels of influencers and it is based on how huge are their following.
- Mega-influencers
These people are already famous before they take on their social media networks. Some of them are television stars, musicians, sportspeople, chefs, and movie stars. They have more than 1 million followers on their social media platforms.
Since you are just a small to medium-sized brand, it is not ideal to reach out to mega-influencers unless you have a million-dollar to pay per post. Major brands like Coca-cola, Nike, and Adidas use mega-influencers.
- Macro- influencers
Macro-influencers have between 50,000 – 1 million followers. They are very good at raising awareness and educating people in their chosen niche. They are either small celebrities, photographers, models, online experts, or content creators who worked hard to gain a wider audience.
Before reaching out to macro-influencers, find out the quality of their followers as some are bots and can be easily purchased.
- Micro-influencers
These are ordinary people who become known because of their interesting vibe and the knowledge they share about a specific niche. Some examples include fitness enthusiasts, teachers, yoga instructors, and just normal persons.
Although they have followers ranging from 1,000 to 40,000, average people can trust them the most. This is because they can build relationships and interactions with the micro-influencers.
Micro-influencers are the popular choice among e-commerce business owners since the pay-per-promotion is manageable. Depending on the agreement, micro-influencers can demand a fixed price or a % commission for each sale.
How to Work with Influencers
Don’t make rush decisions when finding an influencer for your brand. An ideal influencer should be aligned with your brand’s mission and target market. For example, if you are selling fitness products, you would want to connect with fitness trainers.
Don’t be pushy and obvious
Not because you’re using influencers, the majority of the audience will make a purchase. It is not about posting content with “Buy this now” or “check them out” captions.
Instead, create content that delivers value to the audience. What is your product all about? What are the benefits that it gives? What problem does it solve?
Create content that entertains
Create meaningful content that entertains and educates your customers. A good way to do this is through storytelling. Relate to your audiences’ pain points and problems and share how your product can solve them. You can also utilize product reviews and testimonials to draw attention and trust.
